New Philanthropy and Social Justice: Debating the Conceptual and Policy Discourse (Contemporary Issues in Social Policy)

Over the past twenty years, wealthy individuals and private corporations have become increasingly involved in philanthropy, often by establishing foundations targeted at helping to reduce poverty, disease, and other social problems. But as the essays in this interdisciplinary volume show, this new philanthropy does not provide a long-term solution, because it fails to tackle social injustice or the structural reasons for inequality. Placing this discussion in a global context, this far-reaching book questions the political and ideological reasons why rich individuals and companies engage in poverty reduction through philanthropy and suggests that the new philanthropy and social justice debate extends far beyond national boundaries. "There is a broad consensus that traditional philanthropy has the potential to be transformative and address inequalities and injustices, as well as provide relief to the poor. Over the last two decades individual capitalists and private corporations have become increasingly involved in philanthropy, often through foundations targeted at helping to reduce social problems associated with poverty, disease and food insecurity. This important book questions the political and ideological reasons behind rich individuals and large companies choosing to engage in poverty reduction through philanthropy. The question of concern is not whether new philanthropy is good or bad, but what motivates this form of giving and whether the sources of new philanthropy funding are legitimate. The book argues that this new philanthropy risks being a sticking plaster without long-term results, because it fails to tackle social injustice or the structural reasons for inequality. It will be of value to academics, upper-level undergraduates and postgraduates in politics, sociology, economics and development studies."-- Publisher's description

There is a broad consensus that traditional philanthropy has the potential to be transformative and address inequalities and injustices, as well as provide relief to the poor. Over the last two decades individual capitalists and private corporations have become increasingly involved in philanthropy, often through foundations targeted at helping to reduce social problems associated with poverty, disease and food insecurity. This important book questions the political and ideological reasons behind rich individuals and large companies choosing to engage in poverty reduction through philanthropy. The question of concern is not whether new philanthropy is good or bad, but what motivates this form of giving and whether the sources of new philanthropy funding are legitimate. The book argues that this new philanthropy risks being a sticking plaster without long-term results, because it fails to tackle social injustice or the structural reasons for inequality. It will be of value to academics, upper-level undergraduates and postgraduates in politics, sociology, economics and development studies.

This book explores the politics and ideology behind a new form of philanthropy whereby wealthy capitalists and private corporations establish initiatives to reduce poverty, disease and food security. Is this new philanthropy just a sticking plaster without long-term results as it fails to tackle inequality? This work considers the potential of philanthropy for social transformation. It takes a critical view of the prevailing conceptualisation in which philanthropy is considered to be an integral part of the neoliberal strategy to disperse state responsibilities in line with declining social expenditure